Seaweed

Incorporating more fish into our diet is important, but there are plenty of other delicious, nutritious foods in the sea. One of our faves:sea vegetables (a.k.a. seaweed), which are packed with lots of good-for-you things like iodine, folate, iron, vitamin K, and calcium. Among the most commonly eaten varieties isnori, the paper-like black seaweed that's used to make sushi rolls.Kombu, a kind of kelp, is combined with bonito (tuna) flakes to make dashi, the classic Japanese soup stock. Other tasty sea veggies includehijiki (a black seaweed with a slight anise flavor) andwakame (a dark green seaweed that's perfect in soups). Tim Cushman, chef-owner of Boston's O Ya, says, "Sea vegetables add an incredible depth of flavor to so many dishes. It's all about umami [the Japanese idea of savoriness]." At home, Cushman likes to toast a sheet of nori in a hot skillet, then crumble it over scrambled eggs.

Look for sea vegetables at some supermarkets and at natural foods stores and Asian markets. Pollution in the ocean can cause sea plants to absorb higher levels of metals and unwanted chemicals, so buy organic seaweed whenever possible.

To cook with sea vegetables, try these recipes:(pictured above, left to right)Yudofu (Simmered Tofu with Soy Dipping Sauce)In this traditional dish, tofu is first simmered in a simple broth, then taken out of the broth and eaten with a dipping sauce.

Tofu DengakuIn Japan, dengaku refers to food that's been miso-glazed and grilled. This Kyoto-style dish was developed by chef Abe Hiroki at EN Japanese Brasserie in Manhattan. Of course Hiroki makes his own tofu, but we used store-bought tofu with great results.